Here’s what you missed over the past weeks in the creator economy.

These recent headlines offer a glimpse into the most important moves and news, and they are just the tip of the iceberg.

Creators and celebrities are moving from participants in the commerce infrastructure to architects of it, as more undertake entrepreneurial projects or replace endorsement checks with equity stakes.

IM8 Health, the wellness brand co-founded by David Beckham, has secured $1 billion in non-dilutive growth financing from General Catalyst, marking one of the largest financing deals announced by a creator-founded consumer brand. Under the agreement, General Catalyst will fund up to 70% of IM8’s monthly cohort marketing spend in exchange for a capped share of revenue generated from those customers until an agreed return multiple is reached. The structure allows IM8 to accelerate growth without issuing equity, warrants or convertibles, keeping existing ownership unchanged. Just nineteen months after launching in December 2024, Prenetics expects IM8 to generate $210M–$220M in full-year 2026 revenue and reach a $300M annualised run rate by year-end.

Final Boss Sour, the dried fruit snack brand co-founded by creator London Lazerson, raised $4 million, bringing total funding to $12 million since its October 2023 launch. The round includes SnackFutures, Mondelēz International’s venture arm, alongside Evolution VC Partners and The Angel Group, with returning investors Melitas Ventures and GFR Fund also participating. Built in studio by Science Inc., the brand will use the capital to expand into Walmart, Kroger, H-E-B, Wegmans and Hy-Vee, with Target and 7-Eleven launches planned for this fall.

Creator equity on the cap table is becoming a standard feature of VC-backed consumer companies, with founders and investors increasingly giving creators ownership and strategic roles to accelerate distribution, build community and strengthen brand credibility.

Social networking app Pie appointed Nadya Okamoto as Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer to lead its next phase of growth. Okamoto previously co-founded period-care brand August, where she built both the business and a community of more than five million followers by publicly documenting the company’s journey. She first connected with Pie founder Andy Dunn when he invested in August and later became one of Pie’s top community hosts, using the platform to run her Zoomies run club in New York. At Pie, her next mandate will be scaling the Creator Club and further developing the platform’s community ecosystem.

Gran Coramino Tequila appointed Lori Harvey as Chief Creative Advisor, becoming the brand’s first celebrity partner beyond co-founder Kevin Hart. Harvey will help shape the brand’s creative direction as it expands beyond its initial audience and targets female consumers, which the brand describes as the fastest-growing demographic in premium spirits.

Just Salad announced 2026 NBA champion and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson as a long-term partner and equity owner, weeks after he secured both titles. The partnership had been in motion since early 2025 and comes sixteen months after the company raised $200M at a valuation of approximately $1 billion. As part of the deal, Brunson will take an active role in the business, working alongside the leadership and culinary teams as Just Salad expands with 30 new locations this year.

Glen Powell joined Premier Lacrosse League as an equity investor and Creative Advisor, with a mandate to help bring the first PLL and WLL teams to Texas, alongside actors Rob Mac, Tony Cavalero and country artist Warren Zeiders. The announcement coincided with the league’s $100M Series E financing, the largest capital raise in professional lacrosse history, led by Ares Management and Joe Tsai, the league’s largest shareholder since its 2019 Series A.

We (Vivaio Ventures) and Italian creator Luca Gervasi have launched CATCREW, Europe’s first creator-led cat food brand. Inspired by Luca’s cat Belen, the brand offers a super-premium range of grain-free cat food developed alongside veterinary nutritionist Alessandra Calini and tailored to different feline nutritional needs. CATCREW launched with 8 SKUs, supported by a pre-launch community of 12,000 newsletter subscribers and nearly 40,000 Instagram followers within its first week.

Georgina Rodríguez launched Mimoa, a new activewear brand entering the category with a collection of 27 styles, all priced under €100. The brand plans to expand to 91 variations once all colours and lengths roll out and is currently sold exclusively online, with wholesale partners deliberately excluded. Rodríguez is the brand's founder and creative director, leveraging her fashion presence and global audience to build her own activewear business.

Versed, the clean skincare and makeup brand founded by serial entrepreneur Katherine Power, was acquired by beauty platform Belle Brands. The deal provides an exit for Versed’s venture backers, while Power remains on the board. The acquisition fills a skincare gap in Belle Brands’ portfolio and marks another milestone in Power’s track record of building consumer brands across categories, including Who What Wear, Merit Beauty and Avaline Wine alongside Cameron Diaz.

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